Metamorphosis
by Shadowed Night Sky
Summary: He had always imagined the demon of Suna to be a fearsome monster. It was because of him that he was terrified of demons. And yet, when he actually met him, he was nothing like he had imagined. *A view of Gaara through a child's eyes*
1. Chapter One: Ante

_Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto. If I did, there would be a lot more Gaara in there! Like, every episode having Gaara in there. Seriously. So I don't own it. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto who likes torturing me by not having as much Gaara in there as I want. _

_AN: This was shamelessly inspired by the brown-haired boy in episode 7 of Shippuden - Run, Kankuro. I couldn't help but think about how after all the hate Gaara endured, he was finally a role model and a hero in the eyes of his villagers, and I wondered what they were thinking about him now, especially the children who weren't really exposed to crazy, psychotic, insane Gaara. I nearly squealed when I saw that scene (despite being heart-broken that Gaara had lost) and I finally decided to write something about the little boy, so here it is. It's basically a view of Gaara from a childish, innocent mind! _

_This first chapter is set pre-Chuunin Exams, so Gaara's around eleven.  
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_Spoilers: Rescue Gaara Arc_

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**Metamorphosis**

**Chapter One: Ante  
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_Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis - All things are changing, and we are changing with them_

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The creak of the door shattered the silence of the night, causing the origin of the noise to cringe and freeze, not daring to move a muscle as the echo of the moving door rang through the stillness of the street.

The young boy turned, cautiously glancing up to the window that was located above the entrance into the house, head cocked, ear up in the direction of the glass.

No sound or movement was heard.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and shut the door quietly. He edged a couple of paces away, once again looking at the window which remained dark.

The young boy smiled and began tromping down the streets, doing a small victory dance inside his head at the realization that he had successfully left the house undetected. He had even left through the front door which was right beneath his brother's window.

_Take that_, the boy thought. _See? Being a ninja doesn't mean you're better than me!_

The boy - Renjiro - traveled through the twisting streets of Sunagakure for a few minutes before arriving at a small park, less than half a mile away from the Ninja Academy. Renjiro immediately broke into a run, determined to find the swing set that he had risked his neck to play on.

This specific swing set had been the first and only swings that he had ever tried. Playing on the swings was one of his favorite activities. When it had broken five months ago he had been devastated. His best friend had just told him after dinner that it had been fixed. No amount of whining had budged his mother's firm decision that he would have to wait until the next day to go to the park. He had grudgingly gone to bed, only to lay awake for four hours, tossing and turning, thinking about the swing set. When he was certain his parents were asleep, and his brother wasn't just faking his unconsciousness, he had tumbled out of bed, dressed himself quickly (remembering that Suna nights were very cold) and left the house with all the discretion a six-year-old could have.

He was very proud of himself for having done it without his brother even noticing.

The young boy arrived at the swing set, panting only slightly from his sprint. He rested his hands on his knees for only a second - trying to regain his breath - before drawing himself up. He took a step forward, eyes directed towards the swing he had always used...

Only to stop dead in surprise.

Somebody was already on the swing.

Somebody was already on _his_ swing.

Renjiro frowned. He eyed the seated figure with the distrust of a child deprived of his special toy.

The boy looked strange. Despite his coloring being distorted by the moonlight and shadows, Renjiro could tell he had red hair and pale, pale skin. His eyes were closed, and the lids were black in color. His bangs brushed his forehead, allowing only the beginning of the markings of a kanji sign to be seen on the boy's forehead.

_Weird._

And yet, kinda cool at the same time.

Renjiro narrowed his eyes at the boy. He might have thought the older boy cool (he was obviously older than even Renjiro's brother), except for the fact that the weird boy was sitting on _his _swing.

"Are you done?" asked Renjiro as politely as he could.

The boy's eyes snapped open, zeroing in on Renjiro instantly.

They were kind of a strange color. Not completely blue, nor completely green. His eyes were more of a mixture of the two colors, blending together and yet changing frequently.

The boy glanced at him a moment, not bothering to move or answer.

"Are you done?" repeated Renjiro, just in case he hadn't heard.

The boy just stared blankly at him, as though he couldn't comprehend the question.

Renjiro huffed, annoyed that the boy had the gall to ignore him while he was still sitting on _his_ swing.

The boy remained motionless.

Sand rustled around Renjiro's feet despite there being no breeze.

Renjiro scowled before stomping to the swing beside the boy, his bad mood setting in because of this unexpected obstacle.

Renjiro glared at the ground, his feet dangling a few inches above the restless sand.

This was why he wanted the other swing. Not only was it _his_ swing, but he could also reach the ground on that one.

Renjiro tried rocking back and forth, trying to get the swing started, but had to give up when the chains all quivered.

He stared hard at the ground, willing himself not to let the welling tears escape down his cheeks.

"You're here without anyone's knowledge."

Renjiro raised his eyes, startled by the non-question by the boy who he had almost forgotten was there.

The boy wasn't looking at him, he was simply staring straight ahead, not even having the decency of at least trying to act well-mannered around Renjiro.

He had kind of a strange voice. It was rather raspy, but not in a harsh way. Renjiro couldn't tell if this was natural, or from misuse. His mother sometimes said a voice grew hoarse from lack of use, or overuse.

Despite the rhetorical statement, Renjiro raised his chin defiantly. "So?" he said stubbornly.

The boy still hadn't moved from his original position. "Why are you here?"

"Because I want to swing."

The boy glanced over at Renjiro. "Why?"

"Because I like flying high up in the air. It's fun. I pretend I'm a ninja sometimes when I do that. My best friend told me that her cousin said swinging up high is the same feeling ninja get when they're jumping really really far up in the air."

"You don't get scared?"

Renjiro shook his head vehemently. "No! 'Course not! It's fun!"

"It could be dangerous," the boy noted.

"Don't care," Renjiro retorted, not liking that this eleven or twelve-year-old boy was criticizing him.

"Why don't you just wait till you can be a ninja?"

"I won't ever be a ninja. I don't have enough chakra. My brother's one though. He goes to the Academy." Renjiro pointed in the general direction of where he knew the Academy stood. "He's going to be a real live Suna shinobi one day!"

"And you hate him for being a ninja while you cannot?"

"NO! 'Course not! I mean, I get jealous sometimes - and he's awfully annoying - and I say I hate him, but I don't really. Plenty of people can't be ninjas, so I understand."

"So why do you swing if it just reminds you of what you cannot attain?"

"I dunno. 'Cause it's fun! And it's the closest thing I'll ever get to being a ninja, and that's good enough for me!"

The boy finally turned to actually look at Renjiro, his face expressionless. He finally dropped his head down, his hair falling to shadow his face. He didn't seem to understand.

Renjiro turned to face forward, ignoring the weird boy as he tried to figure out a way to get the swing started.

The sounds of the gliding sand got a little louder as he looked up, wondering if he could try jumping onto the swing after pushing it.

An unexpected force suddenly gave him the boost he needed.

Terrified, Renjiro clutched at the chains, not knowing what had pushed him, his senses completely focused on the fact that he was in the air.

He was soaring high and free.

Renjiro swung up so high that he didn't dare crane his neck to see what continued giving him the force needed to continue the pendulum-like motion.

He whooshed past the boy who hadn't moved a fraction of an inch, completely ignoring the six-year-old who breezed past him, narrowly missing a collision with his shoulder.

Eventually, the force vanished, leaving Renjiro's swings to slowly die down to the merest quiver before halting to a complete stop.

Renjiro breathed a sigh of happiness. He was glad he had snuck out even though his mother would punish him like there was no tomorrow if she ever found out he had left the house at night time.

He glanced behind him, trying to see if there was another person who had pushed him, but all he saw was the sand that appeared to stretch endlessly in every direction.

A sudden movement caused the brown-haired boy to turn and stare at his elder who had (finally) arisen from the swing he had been seated at. The redhead moved a couple of paces away before bending down to pick up a gourd so massive that Renjiro wondered how he could have possibly missed the thing.

The boy shouldered the gourd and moved a couple of more feet forward before stopping and pivoting, facing Renjiro. "You shouldn't be out late at night," he said.

Renjiro couldn't tell if this was a friendly warning or a devious threat.

"You're not my mother," he shot back. "You can't tell me what to do."

Renjiro could see an emotion flicker into existence in the boy's eyes as he replied, "You never know what kind of creatures wander the streets at night."

"I'm not scared!" Renjiro declared hotly.

The boy turned around and began walking away. He stopped just before leaving the park grounds, swiveling his head around so that he could look Renjiro right in the eyes. "That is because you do not understand."

Without another word, he vanished into the shadows of the darkened streets, disappearing before the brown-haired boy could get a word in.

Renjiro stayed on the swing, barely noticing that the sand which had been abnormally restless ever since he arrived - despite it being a particularly windless night - had ceased its shifting and now lay quiet beneath Renjiro's feet.

The image of the boy as he had stood there saying those words ran through Renjiro's mind again and again, like a broken record.

Those eyes...that emotion...it bewildered the naive mind of the six-year-old.

By the time Renjiro wandered back home, right into the arms of his furious - yet very worried - mother, it was nearing five in the morning. Renjiro had yawned widely as his mother screeched and raved, handing him a list of punishments that he had taken without complaint.

He had hit the bed, his mother telling him he needed his sleep. As he lay his head down, slipping into the darkness of sleep, those aquamarine eyes entered his mind.

One thought entered his mind before he lost himself to unconsciousness.

_Who is he?_

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Renjiro didn't spot the weird, weird boy from that night until nearly six months later.

He had gone to the market with his family. His mother had dragged his older brother off, insisting he needed new clothes for his new year at the Ninja Academy. He was following his father who was blindly walking through the twisting Suna markets, looking uncertainly around him. He rarely ever ventured into this area, opting to stay safe and sound in his own restaurant that was surrounded mostly by other food stalls and even a few weaponry shops.

Both he and Renjiro disliked souvenir and clothing shops and stalls.

His father was examining a quirky device, poking at it hesitantly when Renjiro spotted him.

He looked the same. His red hair was much more apparent in broad daylight, resembling the color of the blood that Renjiro had seen drip from his mother's finger last week when she cut herself whilst chopping spices. His face was still emotionless, and that enormous gourd was tied to his back.

Renjiro scarcely noticed the hush that journeyed through the streets. He ignored the vendor who accidentally knocked over a vase, and the people who scurried away in the middle of bargaining.

"Tou-san!" he whispered, tugging eagerly at his father's belt. He looked up at his father who had gone suddenly pale.

"What is it, Renji?" asked his father, not looking down at him.

"Who is that boy over there? Do you know him?" Renjiro pointed over to the strange, strange redhead who was walking calmly down the street.

Renjiro stared in wonder at the boy's forehead where the kanji he had noticed on that night was now completely visible. Renjiro recognized it as the kanji 'ai' which meant love.

_Is that actually a tattoo? _Renjiro wondered as the boy came closer.

Renjiro felt his father grip his shoulders, embracing him closely as though in protection.

The boy was right in front of him now.

Renjiro could hear the sand rustling, and watched as the sandy puffs that arose seemed to follow the boy who turned his head slightly, his aquamarine eyes focusing on Renjiro who stared fearlessly back with his wide brown eyes.

For a moment, the only sound Renjiro could hear was the sand. Grain against grain against grain against grain. He could hear it shifting, rustling, gliding, rubbing, swirling. Those weird light-colored eyes framed with that harsh kohl black were directly on him, not moving, not flinching.

And then he had passed right by and was continuing down the street.

Renjiro remained locked in his father's tight grip. He followed the boy with his eyes, watching as the sand almost appeared to trail after him.

"Tou-san," said Renjiro in wonderment. "Tou-san, the sand looks like it's almost alive, doesn't it!"

His father didn't reply, didn't move, until the boy had disappeared. Despite the long street, he hadn't vanished in the crowd which had parted like the Red Sea in front of him. It was only when he turned a corner that Renjiro could no longer see him.

"Tou-san, who was that?" asked Renjiro again.

"That was Sabaku no Gaara," said his father, his eyes still trained in the direction the boy had disappeared.

"A monster," ground out the owner of the stall. He spat on the ground. "A demon. That _thing_ doesn't deserve to be alive."

_Sabaku no Gaara?_

Sabaku no Gaara. Renjiro had heard the name before. It was the name of Sunagakure's personal demon. The Sandman who roamed the streets at night, terrifying little children into obeying their mothers. Renjiro's father used to tell him ghost stories about Sabaku no Gaara, informing Renji that the demon would come to get him if he ever disobeyed his mother.

'The demon loves blood and death, Renji,' his father had said. 'When you're alone at night, it'll pounce and your blood will be spilled all over the sand.'

Renjiro was terrified of demons.

His nightmares revolved around the faceless, ghostly profile of Sabaku no Gaara, a demon that he had imagined large and scary with sharp teeth and dripping fangs, claws outstretched, and sand poised for attack, blood red eyes glowing with evil hunger.

_Sabaku no Gaara._

A murderer. A demon. A monster.

"Make sure you never ever talk to him, Renji," his father was saying sternly. "He'll kill you. He's a killer, and he won't hesitate to add you to his list of innocent victims."

Renjiro was barely paying attention.

He was thinking of that night.

_That demon will attack you when you're all alone at night. It craves the blood of the innocent, the victims who do no wrong taste even sweeter. _

That night he had sat next to a demon and held a conversation with him. That night the had contradicted and talked back to a monster. That night he had talked to a weird boy who turned out to be a murderer.

A demon.

Renjiro was terrified of demons.

"Make sure you listen to your father, kid," the stall-owner was saying. "That thing will eat you alive for dinner. I don't know why Kazekage-sama still has it around. He should work harder at getting rid of it before it murders us in our beds!"

"Ne, ne," laughed a nearby vendor. "Don't be so harsh! I'm sure that it'll wait for a more proper moment to get rid of us all."

"Don't joke about this!" shouted a man. "He's right when he says that it will kill us one day. Do you really think that its mind is stable?"

"Renji, let's go," said his father. He tugged at his hand and Renjiro followed obediently, listening to the fading gossip and cries of the villagers as they spoke of the demon.

Renjiro was terrified of demons.

And yet, as he followed his father through the crowded, loud streets of Suna, he couldn't help but let the memory of the boy's face flash through his mind once again.

_That is because you do not understand._

His face had been schooled into an emotionless mask. A mask that showed indifferent and uncaring coldness.

_That is because you do not understand._

But his eyes had been so sad. So confused.

_That is because you do not understand._

And Renjiro wondered if anyone in Suna really did understand the demon Sabaku no Gaara.

Renjiro was terrified of demons.

So why did his nightmares of the Sandman cease?

If he was really scared of those monsters, why did he return to the swing set at two in the morning only a week later in hopes of seeing that boy again?

_That is because you do not understand._

Perhaps it was because his eyes had looked so lonely. So very, very alone.

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_Okay, this actually turned out completely different than I had planned on! I had originally intended this to be a one-shot focusing around the scene in episode 7, and it turned into a much bigger story that spans over a few years. I haven't planned this completely out yet, so I'm not sure if this will be a two-shot or a three-shot, but I doubt that it will actually turn into a multi-chapter fic. Three chapters tops! _

_I really hope that Gaara wasn't OC in here, though he might be just a bit. ^_^'  
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_I would love to receive reviews from all of you telling me what you thought! I'll be working on the next chapter, but don't expect it to come out in like...one week. (My readers would have a heart attack if that happened.) _

_But anyway, please review!  
_


	2. Chapter Two: Post

_Disclaimer - Disclaimer...disclaimer...er, well, this is embarrassing. I don't have anything really prepared so...um...disclaimer...disclaimer...wow, this is awkward...um, heh heh...well, I guess I can just say that I don't own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. (By the way, I don't own the Latin quotes at the beginning of both chapters either.)_

_AN: Thanks for the great reviews guys, and to everyone who added this story to their favorites and alerts. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! Read and enjoy. (And maybe review?)_

_Set after the time skip. You'll know when!  
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_Spoilers: Rescue Gaara Arc  
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**Metamorphosis**

**Chapter Two: Post  
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_Omnia iam fient quae posse negabam - Everything which I used to say could not happen will happen now._

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The air in the room felt stale and stifling, while the hard wood chair felt very uncomfortable to Renjiro who had been sitting on it for what seemed like hours.

Renjiro wiggled restlessly. "Kaa-san," he whispered to his mother who was talking to a woman Renjiro didn't know. His mother spared him a warning glance before returning to the chattering woman, graciously offering her a cup of tea.

Renjiro scowled, not willing to sit still in a chair listening to his mother chat with strangers when excitement and activity were brewing in the streets.

The ten-year-old boy bit his lip nervously as he was reminded exactly what had happened the night before. A missing-nin had broken into Suna. He hadn't been able to sleep at all after the incident, and highly doubted the other villagers had gotten much sleep either. Renjiro still felt the adrenaline that had been pumping through his veins last night rushing through his body. Despite the fact that all he had done was observe, the thrill of watching such a fantastic yet horrific fight had yet to die away.

"Renji," said his mother suddenly, deciding to take pity on her jittery son. "Here, go give this to your father." She handed him a small box that was tightly sealed around the edges.

Relieved to get away from the table, Renjiro grabbed the box and shoved it into his pocket. He hurried out of the room and flung open the front door. He shot out of his house, immediately squinting his eyes as the bright sunlight flooded into his vision. He nearly tripped over a half-buried crate but thankfully managed to save himself from flying into a poor, innocent little girl.

It felt awkward walking down the streets of Sunagakure this morning. It was strange, Renjiro realized, as he darted past a pair of squabbling vendors, how different everything felt. Village life was going on as usual, but something - _everything_, was off.

The tension that hung over the village was so blatantly obvious and threatening that it was impossible to ignore. The entire atmosphere of the street seemed depressing and dark. Everything felt so _wrong_, which was strange because everything _looked_ normal.

A passing traveler wouldn't have been able to guess something had changed.

But Renjiro could tell.

There was a feeling in the air, an emotion in the hearts of the villagers, that they all felt and shared. It had settled in their minds and hearts last night and had not vanished. Renjiro couldn't pinpoint what that emotion was. But he knew it was there, and he knew that the villagers were united because of it. It felt surreal to walk past a stall-owner bargaining with a villager without the normal shouts and insults that were always spewed.

Renjiro arrived at his father's restaurant in record time. The streets were not as packed as usual, and he had run the entire way. He entered into the cool room, his vision darkening for a second before his eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting. Renjiro nodded to one of the waiters who waved cheerfully at him before winding his way through the crowds of people that were clamoring at the entrance, waiting for their tables.

Renjiro headed back to the kitchens where he knew his father would be.

The kitchens were large and confusing due to the numerous counters and cabinets that were placed everywhere in a seemingly unorganized manner. But Renjiro had practically grown up in this place so he knew it inside and out. "Tou-san!" called out Renjiro as he stepped into the loud, steamy kitchen, raising his voice as loud as he could so he would be heard over the shouts of the cooks. "Tou-san!"

"Renji," sounded a gruff voice. His father himself appeared from behind a large piece of dead meat hanging from a shelf. "What are you doing here?"

"Here," said Renjiro, digging into his pocket to bring out the box. "Kaa-san wanted me to give this to you."

"Ah, yes," said his father, wiping his hands on his apron before grabbing the box. "The spices I needed for the new dish." He set the spices on a nearby counter. "Thank you, Renji, for delivering it." Renjiro nodded, not mentioning it had been an excuse to get away from boring, grown-up gossiping. "You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Why don't you go and grab a seat at the counter out there? I'll get one of the new cooks to whip you up something."

"Thanks, tou-san," said Renjiro, inclining his head to his father.

"Get out of here," said his father affectionately. "Can't have the cooks stepping on you."

Renjiro left the kitchen, nearly colliding with a waiter who was making his way in. He found himself seated at the counter of the main part of the restaurant only seconds later. He greeted the bartender and talked to him for a few minutes before the bartender had to see to a couple of rowdy customers.

Renjiro swiveled around in his seat so he could look at the crowd in the restaurant.

It was unusually busy today. His father - despite being an excellent chef - had never managed to get his restaurant named as one of the top ten favorite Suna eating places. Renjiro's father had several faithful and dedicated customers - even though his restaurant was not well known - and many people came in every day. But today was more crowded than it had ever been before.

Renjiro wondered if it had to do with what had happened the night before.

_Maybe they just want to be around other people_, thought Renjiro as he watched a family of seven enter from the front entrance. _I know I don't want to be alone today. _

Renjiro had just received his lunch when a small group of young men took the seats beside Renjiro, each ordering a drink with a rather loud voice.

"Man," said one of them as he collapsed back against the counter. "Can you believe what happened last night?"

Renjiro perked up upon hearing this, immediately turning his head in the young men's direction._ Kaa-san would murder me if she knew I was eavesdropping_, he thought for a second. _But technically, since they're right there...Kaa-san's not here anyway.  
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"I know," said the blond-haired one. "Unbelievable. I can't believe a missing-nin made it into our village so easily."

"My cousin says that the council is going crazy. The border patrol is going to be strengthened by about fifty percent. An emergency message was just sent to Konoha for backup." The first speaker started drumming his fingers as he relayed the news.

"Konoha?" spat out another man, looking to be the eldest of the four. "I can't believe we're turning to _Konoha_ for help. We can do things just fine on our own. We don't need to go begging Konoha to lend us their ninja to protect our village and leader."

Renjiro frowned as he stabbed his chopsticks into a piece of meat. _Konoha? Why is the council asking Konoha for help? _He discreetly slid his chair over a couple of inches as the rather gaudily dressed man spoke up.

"We're not ninja, Fumio" he pointed out. "We don't know what the ninja are up against, and they sure as hell don't either. That ninja last night was an S-class missing-nin. You've heard about the Akatsuki, haven't you? There are hundreds of rumors about them, but I just spoke to a ninja who confirmed that the missing-nin was an Akatsuki member."

Instantly, Renjiro's blood froze. The _Akatsuki?_ There had been rumors floating around about them for ages. So much so that even the children knew their name. An elite criminal organization with some of the most dangerous S-class missing-nin as members.

_That man was Akatsuki_, Renjiro realized as he thought back to the blond ninja from the night before. _But what do the Akatsuki want with Kazekage-sama?_

"Shut up, Rei," snapped the eldest - Fumio - to the younger man. "It doesn't matter whether he's from Akatsuki or not. We shouldn't be going to Konoha for help. It makes us seem weak. We have ANBU and Jounin just as strong as Konoha's! Why do we need them?"

"It doesn't matter anyway," broke in the first one, cutting out any chance for a lengthy debate. "It's not going to make much difference in the long run."

"What do you mean?" Fumio asked.

Renjiro leaned closer as inconspicuously as possible, making sure he didn't miss a word.

The first one turned around in his seat, accepting his drink as the bartender set it down. He took a long swig from the glass. "My cousin says that the council isn't going to be sending out any ninjas to rescue Kazekage-sama."

There was a moment of stunned silence. Nearby customers who had heard these words were also struck dumb. Renjiro's mouth fell open.

"What?" exploded Rei. "Kenta, are you serious? They're not even going to _try_ to rescue Kazekage-sama? They're just going to..." he choked on his last word.

One of the other customers leaned over. "Are you sure about this?" she inquired urgently.

Kenta nodded. "My cousin's a Jounin," he said. "I'm sure."

The woman looked shocked as she returned to her seat.

Renjiro could feel a headache starting as he sat, petrified. The council was just going to...they weren't...they were just...

"They can't actually do that!" shouted Rei. "Is the council just going to stand by and let the Godaime just...just...just _die_!"

The blond - who had been listening quietly - suddenly sneered. "Why should they do anything?" he demanded angrily. "I say that it was a mistake for that guy to become Kazekage at all. He's a heartless killer. This is the perfect excuse to get rid of the demon. I say good riddance to him."

Rei looked beyond furious as he stood up forcefully, knocking over a glass. "'How dare you say that?" he bit out, rage apparent in his eyes.

Renjiro's mind went blank as the entire restaurant hushed, everyone watching the scene unfold.

"What? It's the truth, isn't it?"

"You better watch your mouth, young man!" warned a father from a table not far away. "You're insulting your Kazekage."

"I don't accept him as my Kazekage! He's a demon!"

Sparks of anger flashed from Rei's eyes as he swerved forwards, throwing a punch towards the blond. "Shut up!" he shrieked as his fist collided with the blond's nose with a sickening crunch. "Kazekage-sama risked his life to save the village! He gave everything to make sure we're safe! And he's still in danger because of that!" Kenta grabbed Rei's arm, preventing him from doing more damage.

The blond clutched a hand to his face as blood dripped down his chin. "That demon..." he began, but he was interrupted by an onslaught of angry cries.

"Shut the hell up!" yelled a bystander. "If you don't, I swear I'll do it for you!"

The chorus of raging shouts echoed throughout the restaurant as many people stood up, some looking nervously towards the exit while others glared murderously at the blond man. A deep, menacing aura was surrounding many people, many of whom had their hands clenched into fists. Renjiro clamped a hand over his mouth, feeling sick as one woman started cracking her knuckles.

"Everyone, please calm down!" came a booming voice. Renjiro threw a startled glance behind him, only to see the bartender cupping his hands around his mouth.

The noise died down, leaving only the dull muttering of several irate people.

"Thank you," breathed the bartender. He turned to look at the blond man severely. "Young man," he said, crossing his arms in an intimidating pose. "This restaurant is a respectable place and we don't allow this type of behavior. Moreover, we're faithful citizens and loyal to our leader. If you insist on insulting Kazekage-sama, who just last night gave everything he had - possibly including his life - to save our lives and village, then I'm telling you to leave right now before I go out and get some Jounins to do it for me."

The blond looked enraged as he stood. "I can't believe what's happening to this village," he said. "You've all gone mad! You're either deranged or deluded! Kazekage-sama," he spat the name with venom, "has killed hundreds of people in cold blood."

"Hell to the Jounins," shouted a nearby man, "I'll kick him out myself." He moved forward threateningly, but the blond wisely sped towards the entrance, the three young men in his company not following.

"And don't come back!" yelled a woman as the blond disappeared into the bustling street.

Renjiro watched in wonderment as the people slowly returned to their food. He glanced around, awestruck, as he looked at the various families and groups seated around the restaurant. Everyone was talking animatedly, many of them with very upset looks on their faces.

"I can't believe him," muttered Rei as he sat back down. "Why'd you stop me, Kenta? I wish I could've done more than just punch him."

Renjiro wished he had too.

"Don't worry about it." Kenta spoke in a reassuring voice. "He'll get over it. He's just being stupid right now."

"No, he's not," said Fumio. "Kazekage-sama is a very brave and very good leader, and I believe he's a good person now, but he wasn't always. He really did do some bad things in the past. Or have you forgotten? Look, Kazekage-sama is making up for it now, but not everyone's going to be forgiving. He used to be a monster."

Shifting nervously in his chair, Renjiro bit his lip to keep himself from contradicting the man.

"Fumio," said Rei warningly as his hand clenched around his glass.

"It's true!" snapped Fumio. "He used to be a cold-blooded killer. I respect him now and I'm proud to have him as our leader. Hell, I'm proud to call him our Kazekage and boast that he's the youngest Kage ever. But he used to be an emotionless monster, and I am not just going to forget about that. He killed and destroyed without feeling anything! He murdered for the fun of it."

"No he didn't," piped up Renjiro, not being able to stand listening to anyone talk about the Godaime Kazekage that way.

The man turned, surprised to see Renjiro sitting there with a scowl on his face. A frown marred his face as he digested Renjiro's words. "What do you mean?"

"He wasn't a monster. He was a human, just like us," said Renjiro insistently. "He _is_ a human just like us, even if he does have Shukaku in him." Renjiro scrunched up his face as he thought back to the time when he had first met his Kazekage. He had come face to face with the redhead in the park near the Academy.

On a set of swings.

All alone.

"And he has emotions and feelings just like us." Renjiro bit his lip, struggling to get the right words so he could show the men what he wanted to convey about the Godaime. "He was lonely an awful lot of the time. No one ever wanted to be near him. What if no one ever wanted to be near _you_ because of something you couldn't control? Wouldn't you be lonely? He...he didn't just kill for the fun of it. He had a reason. I mean...killing isn't good, and...he probably did do some bad things...but he didn't do it because it was fun. He did it because he was miserable!"

Fumio smiled slightly. "You have a deep respect for Kazekage-sama, don't you kid?"

Renjiro nodded enthusiastically.

Kenta grinned. "That's good. We need more people like you around here. What's your name, kid?"

"Renjiro."

"I'm Kenta," the young man said, introducing himself. "It's good to see that there are kids like you willing to stand up for Kazekage-sama. He needs all the support he can get."

"Lots of people do it now," declared Renjiro. "Because Kazekage-sama is our leader."

And a lot of people did defend him now, Renjiro thought as Kenta turned to say something to Fumio.

A cold feeling erupted in Renjiro's chest as he realized what he had been feeling all day.

There was a sense of _danger_ hanging over the village. It had been there all day. A foreboding presence that wouldn't leave.

Everything just felt wrong.

It felt unsafe.

Because _he_ wasn't there.

Wasn't watching over the village.

The demon who had once kept everybody awake at night, fearing for their lives, had now plunged the village into fear...because he wasn't _there_.

Renjiro couldn't help but smile as he dimly listened to Rei and Kenta get into a heated argument with Fumio. It had suddenly struck him that the village had finally come to accept and rely on their Kazekage. An entire restaurant, full of people, had just defended their leader against a single man who had spoken against him.

The reason the village seemed so void of life, so silent despite the noisy streets, was because everyone was scared.

Renjiro rested his head on his hands as he listened to the chatter around him.

The cold feeling in his chest was suddenly overrun by something incredibly warm.

He knew that the Kazekage would return, because he _had_ to. There was too much waiting for him here. He would be back no matter what.

_

* * *

_

Renjiro squirmed in his chair, disliking the feeling of the sticky plastic against his back. His cheeks were flushed as he listened to his brother's loud, boisterous voice sound out through the waiting room in the hospital._ This is so embarrassing_, he groaned mentally. _Why does nii-san have to be so loud?_

"But sensei said that you would have it!" yelled his brother, causing a young couple sitting across from Renjiro to exchange annoyed glances.

"Man, that kid is loud," muttered the guy.

_Yeah, I know_, thought Renjiro. _I live with him. Try living with that all day and see what you think then. I thought that older siblings were supposed to be the mature ones. _

This clearly wasn't the case for Renjiro and his brother.

As his brother continued arguing with the perturbed med-nin, Renjiro shifted restlessly, bored out of his mind. He had been dragged to the hospital by his brother who claimed that he needed an important document from the med-nins. The two of them were _supposed_ to be going to see their grandparents who lived in what the brothers liked to call, "The Place for Wrinkled People," but Renjiro's brother didn't seem too keen on the idea. Hence the stopping for so called "important document." Renjiro rolled his eyes as he slid down the chair a little bit. His thoughts automatically flitted to the subject that was on everyone's mind.

_Kazekage-sama...are you alright? Are you still...alive?_

It had been five days now since the fight between the missing-nin and the Godaime. Word had reached the streets that a Konoha team had arrived in Suna, only to be immediately sent out to rescue the Kazekage.

The only team that had been sent out.

Not even the Kazekage's own siblings had been allowed to join the search.

Many villagers had been outraged when the word got out that the only team actually bothering to search for _Suna's_ Kazekage was a _Konoha_ team. Both Renjiro's father and brother had given a furious rant over the dinner table of exactly what they thought of the council's decision.

Renjiro conjured up an image of himself storming into the council room, gagging each and every one of the "respected" members, taking over all of Suna, ordering the fearsome (intimidating) ANBU guards to search for and rescue the Kazekage, and then either being banished from Suna for all time, thrown into a dungeon cell for a life time punishment, or being cheered for by the villagers and personally thanked by Gaara himself.

In his fantasy world, it would be the latter, complete with medal and the title of "second-in-command of Suna."

In reality, it would probably be the first two combined.

Renjiro sighed, deciding that depressing himself was probably not the best way to relieve himself of the boredom that had gripped him from what seemed like _hours_ ago.

He slipped out of his chair, sending the wincing couple a sympathetic glance as his brother's howls came through the thin door. _Trust me, I know. Just hope your appointment's soon before he gets even louder.  
_

Renjiro had never really been in the large hospital of Suna before. It was a large and rather forbidding building, attached to the Kazekage's tower in the direct center of Suna. Though the Kazekage's tower was by no means off limits to visitors, most children avoided going there, considering it too intimidating to waltz right into the Kazekage's tower. Because of this, the hospital was also another place not frequented by children, though in many Hidden Villages, visits to the hospital were encouraged.

Renjiro had never set foot in the place before today.

But...since he was already here...

_May as well do some exploring. Nii-san's not going to be finished with his tantrum for hours. _

Renjiro wandered down the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when his brother's voice faded. He walked down the various hallways, twisting and turning, peeking through the windows of some rooms while curiously glancing into the ones with open doors. He marveled that he had not run into a single med-nin this entire time.

He eventually turned a corner and discovered a rather large open room near the middle of the hallway and entered the bright fluorescent lit room. He only had time catch sight of several beds before a voice broke through the silence of the hospital wing.

"Oi, brat, what do you think you're doing here?"

Renjiro yelped, jumping back a couple of feet as a pair of brown eyes clashed with his own.

On one of the beds lay a young teen. His upper torso was bandaged heavily and his face was bruised. His entire form looked battered and he appeared exhausted. His brown, spiky hair was messy and ruffled, sticking out in every direction, and his pants were horribly wrinkled.

"I...I'm sorry," stammered Renjiro. "I didn't know anyone was here."

"Oh, I guess we have a spy then."

Renjiro looked alarmed.

The teen chuckled lightly. "Geeze, brat, calm down, I'm just joking. I know who you are. You're the kid from Sasaki's, the owner's son. I love your spiced lizard. Makes my mouth burn every time I eat it. Which is pretty impressive considering the types of spices that have been forced on me before."

The ten-year-old stared at the older boy, surprised at the teen's introduction. He tried to match his face with a regular customer who bought spiced lizard.

The teen noticed the boy's investigation. "You probably don't recognize me since I'm usually in my ninja garb when I'm there. I like to head there before missions just to make sure I'm not half-asleep when I start out. I'm Kankuro," he added.

_Kankuro, Kankuro_, thought Renjiro, racking his mind for a memory of this guy. The name certainly sounded familiar. It hit him suddenly. "Oh, yeah! You're the guy with the weird hat and the face paint!"

The teen looked insulted. "It's not that weird," he muttered.

Renjiro looked hard at the older boy. "You're Kazekage-sama's older brother," he whispered, mostly to himself.

There was a moment's silence.

"Yeah," Kankuro said, replying to the rhetorical statement. "Gaara's...Gaara's my otouto."

Renjiro opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say to the boy. He remembered being so surprised when he first learned that the weird face paint guy had been Sabaku no Gaara's _older brother_. They seemed so...so different.

"Do...do you think Kazekage-sama's going to be alright?" he asked, desperate to know what someone so close to the Godaime thought.

Kankuro didn't answer immediately. "I hope so," he said at last, his voice cold but emotion shining through his eyes. "The Konoha team is going to do everything they can. I know it."

"How do you know that?" Renjiro demanded, his anger at the council for sending foreign ninjas to rescue their Kazekage returning tenfold. "They're from Konoha! Why do they care so much about what happens to our leader?"

Kankuro let a small smile slip onto his face. "Don't worry about it. There's one person on that team who will do everything and anything possible to make sure Gaara gets back here alive and safe. And - as soon as possible - Temari and I are going after them."

Temari, Kazekage-sama's sister.

"But...I thought the council forbade you to search for him?"

"Yeah, well, who cares for the council's idiotic shit. I don't." Kankuro looked like he wished he could tell the council exactly what he thought of them.

It was probably something Renjiro's mother wouldn't let him hear.

"I hope that Kazekage-sama is safe," said Renjiro softly. The brown-haired boy wondered where the Kazekage was right now. Was he hurt?

Kankuro smiled bitterly. "Yeah. So do I."

Renjiro eyed him for a minute. He had never spoken to Kankuro before, and he wasn't sure how close the teen was to his brother. "Everyone in Suna hopes the same thing too," he said. "Everyone's really worried."

"Yeah?"

"Yep! And..." Renjiro grinned, the corners of his mouth stretching wide. "When a man said bad things about Kazekage-sama, a riot almost started."

Kankuro looked startled. "What?"

"Mmm-hmm," hummed Renjiro. "Everyone was really mad at him. One of his friends gave him a bloody nose."

Kankuro snorted. "Good. I probably would've done more, but that's a start."

"That's what he said too." Renjiro looked at the ground for a minute, wondering what else to say to the teen. "I'm happy for Kazekage-sama. If..._when_ he comes back, everyone's going to be really happy to see him and then - maybe - he won't look so lonely anymore."

"Huh?" Kankuro stared at Renjiro in astonishment, a surprised expression visible on his face.

Renjiro nodded his head vigorously. "I met Kazekage-sama once," he informed the teen. "He seemed really sad and lonely, and nobody liked him back then. I think that he thought no one cared."

Kankuro bowed his head slightly, a haunted look entering his eyes. "Yeah, I know," he murmured.

"But when he comes back, he'll know that isn't true anymore!"

"Ya think so?"

Renjiro nodded as he studied Kankuro for a minute. "How did you get hurt?" he finally questioned.

"I had a run in with a strong enemy."

"Really? Who? When?"

"You probably haven't heard of him, but he's an S-class missing-nin. Akasuna no Sasori."

Renjiro bit the inside of his cheek as he thought over the name. "Never heard of him."

"He was the most talented puppet-master in Suna. I didn't stand a chance. He completely tore my puppets apart."

"Oh. When did you fight him?"

"Five days ago."

It dawned on Renjiro. "You were following Kazekage-sama?"

"Yeah. I managed to help the Konoha ninja find their trail but..." Kankuro's voice trailed off.

"It's alright," Renjiro said comfortingly. "I bet Kazekage-sama will just be happy that you tried to save him."

Kankuro managed a weak grin. "Yeah? You have a lot of faith in what you think my brother will feel."

The smaller brown-haired boy shrugged. "It's true though! I bet he'll be relieved that you weren't killed. And he'll be really happy when he hears about all the people worried about him. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. He won't know what to do with himself. I just..." Kankuro hesitated a moment, looking out the window to the rolling desert sand that drifted on the streets. "I just hope he'll be able to see it. What everyone thinks of him."

"He will!" said Renjiro determinedly. "He's come too far to not be able to. It would be too mean to not let him see everything!"

"Yeah." Kankuro shook his head slowly. "It would be too cruel."

There was silence afterward, both boys lingering in their own thoughts.

Renjiro looked at the clock and realized he should probably be returning to his brother. He returned his gaze to Kankuro and broke the silence. "Kankuro-san, when you find Kazekage-sama, can you tell him that when he comes back home, tou-san will kick everyone out of the restaurant and personally serve him and anyone else who comes their absolute favorite food. You'll tell him, won't you?" Kankuro stared at him, struck speechless. "And tell him that my father insists that he brings all of his friends and family as well. What's his favorite food? Tou-san will start working on preparing the most delicious dish of whatever it is as soon as he finds out!"

A genuine smile broke out on Kankuro's face as a small laugh escaped him. "Gaara would kill to have salted tongue and gizzard," he said. "He hasn't had a really good dish of either for a really long time. Temari tries to cook it but...it usually ends up as charcoal. She isn't much of a cook. Not as bad as Gaara himself - he blew up the microwave once - but she's really bad."

"Salted tongue and gizzard," Renjiro repeated. "I'll tell tou-san, and you tell Kazekage-sama. Promise?"

"Promise."

"Cross your heart?"

Kankuro's grin was nearly as wide as Renjiro's was earlier. "Cross my heart and hope to die," he said, motioning the cross sign over his chest. "I'll tell him when I find him. After I give him a good scolding for scaring all of us."

Renjiro bowed to him. "Thank you, Kankuro-san!" he exclaimed brightly. "Tou-san will be ready!" He backed out the door, before popping his head back in. "And tell Temari-san that my father would be willing to give cooking lessons!" He waved good-bye as he ran back out.

Kankuro's voice echoed behind him. "It wouldn't help!" the teen called to Renjiro's retreating back. "Trust me when I say that!"

* * *

It had taken a long time to get here, Renjiro reflected as he sat on a very cushy, very comfortable lounge chair. But, the words that Chiyo-baa-sama had uttered were circling around the village.

Times were changing. Traditions, prejudices, views, everything was shifting, morphing into a new world that was better than before. And people were changing with the world, shedding old ideas and accepting new ones. And for Suna, the change had happened so quickly that some people could barely tell the difference despite the drastic alteration that had occurred.

A new feeling had settled over the village.

"Third plate of salted tongue coming up!" called out Renjiro's father.

"And another plate of gizzard!" hollered Temari. "Gaara's too thin. We need to fatten him up!"

"Oi, jii-san, are you sure you don't know how to make ramen? I mean, this is good and all, but nothing can beat miso ramen! So do you think...ackk! Sakura-chan, that hurt!"

"Naruto! Shut up and stop whining! You should be grateful for this meal! Not only is it delicious, but it's free!"

"Yeah, but Sakura-chan, it's not...ow! Itai, that hurt!"

"Renjiro." A voice broke through the chatter surrounding Renjiro. The voice was soft, somewhat raspy, but no longer holding that coarse quality from years ago signaling it's misuse. It was pleasant to hear.

Renjiro turned and bowed his head to the redhead in front of him. "Are you enjoying your meal, Kazekage-sama?" he asked, looking at the steaming platter that the Kazekage held in his hands.

Gaara sat down next to Renjiro, setting the platter down on the table. "It's very good," he murmured. "Kankuro told me it was your idea to have your father make us dinner. Thank you."

"No, we're just glad you're safe!" said Renjiro, smiling happily.

Gaara nodded.

"You know," continued Renjiro, "We were all really worried about you. I know it must be hard to believe sometimes, but everyone really cares for you, ya know." Renjiro scratched his head. "Kaa-san says you get wise with old age, but some old people I know are really stupid. So I probably won't ever really understand everything. But..." he paused, uncertain of how to express his feelings to the boy who he had come to worship as a hero. "But sometimes, people have to look past the outside and see what's inside to really know a person. If you try and accept that person, than even if you don't understand them all the way, it doesn't matter anymore. Because..." Renjiro chuckled slightly. "This probably makes no sense. But, what I'm trying to say is, everyone in the village is trying to see you. And it doesn't matter if they understand or not." Renjiro grinned widely. "I figured that out when I snuck out of the house at two in the morning to play on the swings!"

Gaara remained silent for a moment. "You're smarter than your brother," he said finally.

And Renjiro could tell that that was Gaara's way of saying thank you.

"Gaara! Sakura-chan's being mean! I'm going to sit with you!" A blond bundle of energy had zoomed over and plopped onto Gaara's chair, squishing the Kazekage against the side.

Renjiro grinned, feeling proud of himself.

As he leaned forward to steal a piece of meat off of Naruto's plate, he identified the warm feeling that he had felt the entire day.

Sunagakure was alive again. The danger looming over them like a thundercloud had vanished.

Renjiro felt safe.

_That is because you do not understand_, Gaara had said on that night four years ago.

_We'll never really understand, Kazekage-sama,_ thought Renjiro._ But we don't have to understand to be able to love you. We're just glad that you're back home.  
_

_

* * *

_

_Phew! *wipes sweaty brow* Took me three hours to write the first draft of this chapter.__ This is much longer than I had intended it to be, but I'm happy with the finished product! Please review and tell me what you thought!  
_


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